Lock-house for switch-stands



(No Model.)

J. MOOARTHY. LOOK HOUSE FOR SWITCH STANDS.

Patented June 4, 1889.

WITNESSES.

N. PEIERS, Fhnm-Lilhognphqr. Washington. n.c.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

IVILLIAM JOSEPH MCCARTHY, OF MENOMINEE, MICHIGAN.

LOCK-HOUSE FOR SWITCH-STANDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,646, dated June 4, 1889.

Application filed February 4, 1889.

I0 all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM JOSEPH Mo- CARTHY, of Menominee, in the county of Menominee and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Lock-House for Switch-Stands, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Through the carelessness of switchmen and other employs of railroad companies it he quently happens that after a train has been run onto a siding the switch is left open, so that when trains approach upon the main line they are either derailed or are run in upon the siding. It is to obviate this danger that I have designed the lock-l1ouse forming the subject-matter of this application, the invention consisting, essentially, of a house formed wholly or in part of rigidly-supported vertical bars, a door arranged in connection therewith, and a connection between the switchoperating crank and the door, whereby, to throw the switch to the siding, it is necessary for the attendant to enter the house, and then as the switch-rails are so thrown the door will be closed and held in locked position until the switching-rails have been returned to open the main track.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views. I

Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of my improved lock-house, parts being shown in connection with the rails of a track. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation 011 line 3 y of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a sectional View on line .2 of Fig. 1.

In constructing the house forming the subj ect-matter of this application, I provide a sheet-metal body 10, formed with a lower flange 11 and an upper flange 12, the lower flange being arranged so that it may be bolted to the switcl1-ties,wl1ile to the upper flange 12 there is bolted a properly -shaped bar 13, which serves as the lower support for a series of vertical bars 14, the upper ends of the bars being connected to a sheet-metal roof 15. At one side of the house there is hinged a door 16, to the inner side of which door there is secured an eye 17, the eye being made integral with the plate a, that is apertured to receive bolts 18, which said bolts pass through a heavy plate 19 upon the outer side of the door.

Within the house I arrange a switch-stand Serial No. 298,608. (No model.)

20 of any proper construction, the vertical crank-shaft 21 of said stand being provided with an upper crank 22, that is connected to the eye 17 by a link 23. To the shaft 21 there is secured the usual operating-lever 24,which, when the siding is open, occupies the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2, thus holding the door 16 closed and retaining the attendant within the house until the lever 24 has been thrown to move the switching-rails to a position to open the main track. This operation will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 1, in which 30 represent the rails of the main track, 4O rails leading to the siding, and 50 the switch-rails, which said switch-rails are connected in the usual way with the shaft 21.

From the construction above described, it

will be seen that when any railroad employ side-tracks a train he cannot leave until the main line is set to safety. It will also be seen that it will be impossible for meddlesome people to throw the switch-rails to open the siding and then quickly run away. In

fact the advantages arising from the use of such an invention as the one above described are many and varied.

By forming the upper part of the house open, as by means of the bars 14, I provide for the giving of such signals as may be required by the attendant within the house. The door 16 may be used for the switchtarget.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A lock-house for switch-stands, arranged for connection with the switch ties and formed with an upper barred section, substantially as described.

2. In a lock-house for switchstands, the combination, with a lower sheet-metal section, of an upper barred section and a roof, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a switch-stand, of a shaft formed with an upper crank, a house within which the stand is arranged, an eye connected to the house-door, and a link connecting the upper crank and the eye, substantially as described.

WILLIAM JOSEPH MCCARTHY.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. DYAR, THOMAS P. P. MCCARTHY. 

